Somatisation Flashcards
What is it
- When a mental or emotional factors (e.g. stress) cause physical symptoms
- Chest pain, tiredness, dizziness, back pain, nausea
What is somatisation disorder
Headaches, nausea etc.
Persists LT but may wax + wane in severity
What are hypocondrias
Fear that minor symptoms = major disease
++think about disease
Reassurance often doesn’t help
What are conversion disorders
Symptoms suggest serious disease brain/nerves e.g. blindness, deafness, weakness
Develop quickly in response to stressful situation
What are body dysmorphic disorders
Concerned about appearance
Focus on apparent physical defect that others cannot see
What are pain disorders
Persistent pain that cannot be attributed to physical disorder
How common is it
Quite rare –> affecting 1 in 1000 people
What causes it
- -ve outlook on personality
- Physically/ emotionally sensitive to pain + other sensations
- Physical or mental abuse Hx
What are the risk factors
- PSTDs
- Mental illness e.g. depression, anxiety
What are the presentations
- Pain, fatigue, weakness
- CARDIAC SOB, palpitations, chest pain
- GI Vomiting, Abdo pain, difficulty swallowing, nausea, bloating, diarrhoea
- MSK pain in legs or arms, back pain, joint pain
- NEURO headaches, dizziness, amnesia, visual changes, paralysis or muscle weakness
- UROGENITAL pain during urination, low libido, dyspareunia, impotence, dysmenorrhoea or irregular menstruation or menorrhagia
What are some DDx
- ANXIETY
- Actual physical illness
- Adjustment disorders
- Psychotic disorders
- Delusional disorders
What investigations do you perform
- Rule out physical causes
- Look for presence of psychiatric disorder
What is the treatment
- Control symptoms
- CBT - find ways to reduce stress + anxiety about symptoms
